Filing system



Dem-22, 1970` V s'. A. OAKLEY 3,548,526

' FILING SYSTEM Filed Feb.l .20, 1969 2 sheets-sheet 1 S. A. OAKLEY FILING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 777mm/ Kaff/@www4 @M/@WM @AMJ Filed Feb. ,20, 1969 3,548,526 FILING SYSTEM Sterling A. Uakley, 1409 Sandburg Terrace,

vChicago, Ill. 60610 Filed Feb. 20, 1969, Ser. No. 801,125 Int. Cl. G09f 7/00 U.S. Cl. l-104.19 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tiling system for holding a plurality of separate, similar items, such as photos, slides negative, transparencies, and the like, comprising a string or row of interconnected envelopes of transparent, glassine paper. Each envelope is formed from a unitary sheet of paper and includes a front wall and a back wall folded at the bottom and open at the top. The back wall of each enveloped is slightly wider than the front wall, thereby leaving narrow edge portions of the back wall along opposite sides exposed from the front side of the envelope. Envelopes are placed in a string or row and are hingedly interconnected by strips of transparent, adhesive tape applied over the exposed narrow edge portions of adjacent The present invention relates to a new and improved ling system for holding a large number of separate, individually distinct items, such as photos, slides, negatives, sheets of paper, cards, and the like, which items are similar in physical form. The system is designed to ease and simplify the handling, sorting, and storing of a large number of such items in an eicient manner, whereby the possibility of loss or displacement of the items is greatly reduced and wherein an individual or particular one may be rapidly selected or picked out from a large number thereof. The invention provides a compact storage and indexing system for the orderly ling and storage of a large number of such items, and additionally provides means for facilitating the rapid and easy selection of a particular item out of a large number.

One of the problems plaguing photographers and file clerks alike is that of providing a small and compact ling and storage system capable of holding a large number of individually distinct items of the character described, which system is designed so that a particular one may be rapidly and easily selected from the group. People generally have a hard time keeping track of their slides, negatives, and other photo materials, and often the result is a loss or misplacement of a valued picture. Moreover, when attempting to sort out, edit, or pick out a particular photograph from a large number of random collections thereof, it is often a burdensome, timeconsuming task to handle or index through and visually check each separate photo and return it to its proper place of storage.

The present invention is not only useful for the ling of photographic supplies, etc., but is also usable for any type of small item, such as coins, stamps, toys, or sheet material which can be contained in an envelope.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved tiling system for the holding of a large number of individually distinct items of a generally similar physical nature, such as photos, slides, transparencies, prints, negatives, and the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved tiling system of the character described which is capable of holding a large number of separate vUnited States Patent O 3,548,526 Patented Dec. 22, 1970 items and which system is also readily suited for aiding in the rapid finding and selection of a particular item from a large number thereof stored in the system.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved ling system of the character described which permits visual inspection of a large number of the individually distinct items in rapid succession with ease and convenience, and without requiring the removal of the items from protective envelopes in which they are contained.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved filing system of the character described, wherein a large number of individually distinct items are contained in a small, compact space in a neat and orderly manner.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved ling system of the character described wherein each individual item is contained in a protective envelope, which envelopes are hingedly connected together in a row or string, and which envelopes are transparent to permit visual inspection Without removing the items from the envelopes.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved filing system of the character described wherein a row or string of envelopes is hingedly connected together in a manner permitting the envelopes to be stacked one on top of another in an accordion arrangement to occupy the minimum of space or volume.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved filing system of the character described, which system is especially adapted to permit a rapid visual inspection of the individual items stored in the system in a viewer without requiring removal of the items from their protective envelopes.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved filing system of the character described employing a container having nested half portions, each half portion being suitable for holding a stack or bundle of items in their protective envelopes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved tiling system of the character described wherein the items to be tiled are easily removable from or insertable into the protective envelopes, yet are not readily dislodged from the envelopes during normal handling.

Another object of the present invention is to provide -a tiling system of the character described employing a plurality of new and improved transparent envelopes, arranged in an elongated row or string, adjacent envelopes in the row being hingedly connected together and the front and backs of the envelopes being sealed or closed by a common strip of adhesive tape.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention are accomplished in an illustrated embodiment thereof comprising a ling system for holding a plurality of individually distinct or separate, but generally similar, items such as photos, slides, negatives, transparencies, sheets of paper, file cards, and the like, which system comprises an elongated string or row of hingedly interconnected envelopes, which envelopes are formed of transparent, glassine paper to permit visual inspection of the items contained therein. Each envelope is formed from a unitary sheet of paper and includes a front wall and a back wall folded at the bottom and open at the top. The back wall of each envelope is slightly wider than the front wall, thereby leaving narrow edge portions of the back wall along opposite sides thereof clearly exposed from the front side of the envelope. Adjacent envelopes in the row or string are hingedly connected together by the application of a strip of transparent adhesive tape which is applied over the exposed adjacent narrow edge portions of the back wall, and the tape strip .J overlaps onto the front walls of the envelopes, thereby sealing the front and back walls of each envelope together. A string or row of envelopes so constructed is stacked one upon another in accordion fashion and placed in a box or container having upper and lower nested half portions. A plurality of such boxes are provided in a single larger container or cabinet similar in function and appearance to a le cabinet having a plurality of drawers (containers) therein. When it is desired to visually inspect the items contained within the envelopes in a particular box, the box is removed and opened. A half portion of the boxful of envelopes is placed at one end of a viewer having an enlarged, illuminated viewing surface and the other empty half portion of the box or drawer is placed at the opposite end. The first envelope in the row of envelopes is lifted and passed over the viewing surface and moved toward the half portion of the box at the other end of the viewer. In this manner, all of the items contained in the string of envelopes are viewed above the viewing surface in rapid succession and without necessitating the removal of any of the individual items from the envelopes. When the complete string of envelopes has been viewed, the stack of envelopes is in the other half portion and the half portions of the box are nested together or closed and returned to the original storage space or slot in the file enclosure.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a new and improved filing system constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown in an operative viewing position wherein a row of hingedly connected, item containing, envelopes is placed on the viewing surface of a viewer with opposite end portions of the row of envelopes shown in position extended into opposite half portions of a box or enclosure placed at opposite ends of the viewing surface;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view illustrating the filing system in the stored position wherein the rows of hingedly connected, item containing envelopes are stacked in drawerlike boxes, a number of such boxes being stacked in a larger cabinetlike container;

FIG. 3 is a perspective View showing a half portion of a drawerlike box or container of the filing system with a row of hingedly connected, transparent, item containing envelopes stacked in the half portion in an accordionlike fashion;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a fragmentary portion of an elongated row or string of hingedly connected, item containing, protective envelopes in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along line 5 5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a unitary sheet of glassine paper cut to shape for use in constructing one of the protective envelopes in accordance with the filing system of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the sheet of FIG. 6 after it has been folded at the middle to form a back wall and a front wall of an envelope;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view of a row of envelopes in accordance with the invention and showing the hinged connection between a pair of adjacent envelopes in the row; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 9 9 of FIG. 8.

Referring now, more particularly, to the drawings and specifically FIGS. 4 through 9 thereof, therein is illustrated an elongated row or string of interconnected, item containing, protective envelopes 10. Each envelope in the row is identical and is formed from a unitary, generally rectangular sheet of thin, smooth, transparent glassine paper l2. As shown in FIG. 6, the unitary sheet of paper 12 includes an upper half or portion 14 having a width W1 which is slightly greater than the width W2 of a lower half or portion 16. The portion 14 forms a back wall of an envelope 10 and the portion 16 forms a front wall when the paper is folded along the dotted line 18 adjacent the middle. Because of the differences in widths of W1 and W2 when the sheet 12 is folded, as in FIG. 7, narrow, opposite side edge portions represented by the numerals 14a are left uncovered by the front wall 16 and are readily accessible or exposed from the front side of the envelopes. With the sheets 12 folded on the middle lines 18 into the configuration as shown in FIG. 7, adjacent sheets are placed side by side in an elongated row or string with the front walls facing in the same direction and with the exposed narrow, side edge portions 14u of adjacent envelopes in the row closely abutting one another, as best shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 8, and 9. Short strips of flexible, transparent, adhesive tape 20 are applied to the front sides of the envelopes aligned in the row with the adhesive surface of the tape engaging each pair of exposed adjacent narrow edge portions 14a. The tape strips 20 are wide enough to overlap onto the adjacent edge portions of the envelope front walls 16, as best shown in FIGS. 5, 8, and 9; and thus a single strip of tape is used to hingedly connect a pair of adjacent envelopes in the row and at the same time seal the front and back walls of each envelope together along the one edge. In this manner, any desired number of envelopes 10 are hingedly interconnected together into an elongated string or row, and the short strips of transparent adhesive tape 20 serve as flexible hinges to permit the envelopes in a row to be stacked, one upon another, in accordion fashion to form a small, compact bundle or stack, as best shown in FIG. 3. The outside edges of the first and last envelopes in a row or string are closed or sealed by a single strip of tape 20 which is folded around to also adhere to the back wall 14.

As shown in FIG. 3, preferably the first or lead envelope in a row is provided with a pull tab 22 to aid in extending or expanding the row of envelopes into an elongated string. In addition, the first or lead envelope in a row is used to contain an index card having space thereon for identification of the contents of the subsequent numbered envelopes in the row. Each succeeding envelope in a row is numbered consecutively and is adapted to contain an item, such as a print, negative, card, transparency, sheet of paper, slide, or the like, or any other flat item which can be readily held in such an enclosure. The envelopes 10 are formed of thin, smooth, transparent, glassine paper (about 2 mils in thickness), vwhich permits easy insertion and Vwithdrawal of the items. The envelopes can be produced in any size, depending on the articles or items to be held therein, and are open at the top and closed by a fold along the bottom.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a row of hingedly interconnected envelopes 10 is therein shown containing a series of individual sheet items A, B, C, D, etc., each of `which items can be easily removed from or inserted into its envelope by simply grasping the upper edge portion of the item adjacent the center thereof in the area of a semicircular finger recess 16a which is provided along the top edge of the front wall 16a of the envelopes. Because the envelopes 10 are constructed of thin, transparent, glassine paper which has a smooth surface, the insertion or withdrawal of an item is smooth and easy and no wrinkling or binding occurs, as commonly is the case with envelopes of polyethylene or other plastic film material. The envelopes 10 are closed or sealed on three sides and are open only along the top edge, and even though glassine paper has a smooth surface there is little chance that the prints or other items contained in the envelopes will inadvertently slip out of the envelopes during normal handling because of the relatively large area of surface contact between the front and back surfaces of the item and the walls of the envelope. Because the glassine paper is clear or transparent, as are the tape strips 20, visual inspection of the front and back sides of the articles or items contained in the envelopes is possible with little obstruction, and, normally, when searching for a particular item in a large number it is not necessary to remove an item from its envelope except when an extremely close inspection is required.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, in accordance with the present invention, each row or string of envelopes is pivoted one upon the other, in an accordionlike fashion, to form neat stacks or bundles which are contained in drawerlike boxes or enclosures generally referred to by the numerals in FIG. 2. Each box or enclosure includes an upper or top member 30a and a lower or bottom member 30h, which are nested together, as shown, when closed, and a group of such boxes 30 are stacked one upon the other in a vertical row, which row of boxes is conveniently contained in a cabinet or boxlike storage enclosure 32, as shown in FIG. 2. The container 32 provides a neat, compact, storage unit as a whole which generally resembles a iiling cabinet with each of the drawerlike containers or boxes 30 therein resembling a drawer in the tiling cabinet. As shown in FIG. 2, the front face of the top half 30a of each drawerlike box 30 is provided with a label 34 for indicia, numerals or marking thereon to identify and index the position of the box in the case or enclosure 32.

In a filing system constructed in accordance with the present invention for holding 2% x 2%" negatives, five rows or strings were provided with fifty envelopes 10 in each row plus an additional first or lead envelope in each row for holding an index card. Each row or string of connected envelopes is contained in a drawerlike box or container 30 measuring approximately 21/2 x 21/2 and 1" in height, and ive drawer boxes are held in a cabinetlike enclosure 32 measuring approximately 2%" x 23A and 5% in height. A total of 250 negatives, 2% x 2%, are thus indexed, stored, and readily available for visual inspection as described, and this relatively large number of negatives requires relatively little volume in comparison with other filing systems in use. When it is desired to find a particular negative or item in the filing system, the dra'werlike boxes 30 are removed one at a time from the enclosure 32. The selected box 30 is opened and the top half 30a is placed upside down in a position at one end of a viewer generally indicated as 36 in FIG. 1. The viewer 36 is provided with an illuminated viewing surface 38 disposed between a pair of upright, longitudinal sidewalls 40, each sidewall having a pair of upstanding guide fingers 42 at opposite ends adapted to guide the row or string of envelopes across the viewing surface. A suitable light source for illuminating the surface 38 is provided and a switch 44 is used to control the light. The viewer 36 also includes Ian elongated bottom wall 46 which projects outwardly from opposite ends of the side members and a pair of spring clips 48 are provided at opposite ends of the viewer above the extensions or end projections of the bottom for holding the tops 30a -or bottoms 30b of the drawerlike boxes 30.

When using the viewer 36 to inspect the items in a row of envelopes 10, each box 30 is opened and one-half 30a or 30h, containing the envelopes, is placed at one end of the viewer on the extension of the bottom 46 and is held in place by the spring clips 48. The empty half 30a or 30h is placed at the opposite end of the viewer and the pull tab 22 is grasped to extend or expand the row of envelopes across the viewing surface 38 between the upstanding guide fingers 42. As the viewing process continues, the stack of envelopes at one end of the viewer diminishes in height and a stack of envelopes is built up in the opposite half portion 30a or 30b at the opposite end of the viewer. As each individual item in its containing envelope 10 is positioned above the viewing surface 38, the item can be visually inspected and, normally, removal from the envelope is not required. After a complete string or row of envelopes has 'been viewed, the two halves 30a and 301) of the drawerlike box 30 are nested together and placed back in the cabinet box 32, and another box is opened and the process repeated.

The filing system of the present invention thus permits la large number of individual items, each contained in a separate transparent envelope 10 to be visually inspected in rapid fashion without normally requiring the removal of the item from its enclosure. The process of finding, indexing, and editing photo negatives is greatly facilitated by the present invention and a large number of such items can be conveniently stored and indexed in a minimum of space.

While but a single embodiment of the present invention has been here specifically disclosed, it will be apparent that many variations may be made therein, al1 within the scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A filing system for holding a plurality of separate items comprising a string of interconnected envelopes formed of transparent, glassine paper, each of said envelopes formed from a unitary sheet of paper and including a back lwall and a front wall folded along the bottom and open at the top, said back wall being slightly greater in width than said front wall, thereby providing narrow edge portions on said back wall along opposite edges of said envelope exposed from the front side thereof, and a strip of transparent adhesive tape hingedly connecting adjacent envelopes along said string for sealing the back 'wall and front wall of each envelope together along opposite edges thereof, each strip of tape applied onto adjacent narrow edge portions of adjacent envelopes in the string and overlapping onto the front walls thereof.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said front walls are formed with nger recess means along the upper edge thereof and said back walls of `consecutive envelopes in said string have identifying printed indicia thereon, said indicia aligned with said finger recess means in said front iwalls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,068,011 1/1937 Engel t0-104.19

3,120,066 2/1964 Reeves 35-59 FOREIGN PATENTS 381,276 11/1907 France t0-104.19

1,112,289 3/1956 France t0-104.19

921,001 3/1963 Great Britain 40-106.1

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner R. CARTER, Assistant Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 40--106.1; 229-69 

